Boot-mounted snowboard support device

ABSTRACT

A snowboard support device for use with a snowboard boot having a front surface and a back boot interface surface wherein the front surface has a groove, wherein the groove has a support surface, wherein above the groove is an upper lip and wherein below the groove is a lower lip, wherein the front surface has a flat perimeter, and wherein in the flat perimeter are at least two lace conduits suitable to connect the device to the laces of a snowboard boot. The support surface of the device engages with the edge of a snowboard to support the board while on a chairlift and to protect the dorsal side of the boot and its laces from damage by the metal edge of the snowboard.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/088,384 filed Dec. 5, 2014 which is herebyincorporated by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable.

APPENDIX

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to protective devices for boots. In particular,the invention relates to devices that shield a snowboard boot fromscuffing and support the snowboard as the user rides the chairlift.

2. Related Art

Snowboarding has evolved rapidly. What was once a minor sport has nowjoined mainstream sports. Yet snowboard riders have had to accustomthemselves to using the physical plant that was developed for skiers.One hurdle for snowboarders is riding a chairlift, which was designedfor easy on and off loading by skiers. The stance and binding system forsnowboards is quite different from skis. Namely, the snowboard rider'sfeet are perpendicular to a single board, whereas a skier's feet arein-line with a pair of skis. As a result of these differences, a skiercan move each foot independently to skate through lift lines and ontothe chairlift, while a snowboarder has no such capability.

In order to ride chairlifts, snowboard riders must manually free one ofthe boots from its binding, and use this free boot as leverage tomaneuver through the lift line and board the chairlift. Once on thechairlift, the board hangs from the fixed boot, straining the leg withthe weight of the board. To alleviate this repetitive strain, boardersoften rest the board on top of the free boot. Snowboards, however, havesharpened metal edges that are designed for carving turns in the snowand ice. As a consequence, the tops of snowboard boots, which areusually made of leather or fabric, often become marred and cut fromrepeated exposure to the board. Often the boot laces are damaged. Also,the metal edges of the snowboard may dull due to such repeated contact

One partial solution is a snowboard support and tether as described byGomez et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,729. This invention comprises aharnessing system to support the board while riding the chairlift and toalso tether the board to the rider. The user wears a harness that iscomposed of shoulder straps, a waist belt, and a strap that attaches tothe snowboard. To ride a chair lift, the user gets on normally, but onceaboard, the user cinches up the straps to support the weight of thesnowboard. The weight is then distributed to the shoulder harness andwaist belt, thereby alleviating some of the strain on the fixed boot.

Most prior art devices either have features that fail to do what thepresent invention does and are different from present invention andteach away from the present invention. There is no prior art device thatdoes what the present invention does.

Examples of known prior art devices are described in the referenceslisted below, which are hereby incorporated by reference.

U.S. Pat. Nos.:8,091,9017,575,2526,702,3286,457,7466,321,4706,247,728

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a boot-mounted snowboard support device, whichis made of a tough rigid plastic, rubber, composite or metal materialthat intermediates between the snowboard and a conventional snowboardboot. During a chairlift ride, the snowboarder can rest the snowboard onthe support device which is carried near the tongue of the free bootwithout fear of damaging the boot. Also, since the fixed boot will nolonger have to carry the entire load of the snowboard, the strain onthat leg, and also the potential for injury, will be reduced.Furthermore, because the snowboard support device is small andlight-weight, it does not impair the biomechanical performance of thefoot and boot or the mechanical function of the binding.

The snowboard support device comprises a front surface and a back bootinterface surface wherein the front surface has a groove with a supportsurface and the back surface is essentially flat. The groove is definedby an upper lip and a lower lip, and the back surface has a connectingdevice suitable to connect the device to the tongue of a snowboard boot.

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It shouldbe understood that the detailed description and specific examples, whileindicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended forpurposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope ofthe invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a snowboarder sitting on a chairlift,showing how a snowboard is conventionally supported.

FIG. 1 is a front elevated perspective view of a first embodiment of thesnowboard support device.

FIG. 2 is side cutaway view of a first embodiment of the snowboardsupport device.

FIG. 3 is a back view of a first embodiment of the snowboard supportdevice.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a second embodiment of the snowboard supportdevice.

FIG. 5 is a side cut-away view of a second embodiment of the snowboardsupport device.

FIG. 6 is a back view of a second embodiment of the snowboard supportdevice.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the snowboardsupport device mounted on a snowboard boot.

FIG. 8 is a side cut-away view of a snowboard, showing the secondembodiment of the snowboard support device interposed between asnowboard and a snowboard boot.

FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 are side cut-away views of a third, fourth and fifthembodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merelyexemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention,its application, or uses.

With reference to FIG. 1A, the prevailing method of riding the chairlift29 indicates the potential for damage when the snowboard 13 is rested onthe free boot 17. When riding a chairlift 29, a snowboarder releases thebinding 19 to produce a free boot 17. The fixed boot 15 remains bound tothe snowboard 13 during all phases of use. During repeated contact, themetal inside edge 27 of the snowboard 13 scuffs and cuts the dorsalsurface of the free boot 17. Even though a majority of the free boot 17remains in good condition, a prematurely worn dorsal surface, includingdamaged laces, severely diminishes the usefulness of the free boot 17.

With reference to FIGS. 1-3, a first embodiment of the present inventionis a snowboard support device 50 having a front 62 and a back bootinterface surface 58. Surface 58 is approximately flat and rectangular.On the front 62 is a groove 52 wherein the groove has a support surface53. Defining the groove 52 is an upper lip 54 and a lower lip 56. Theupper lip and the lower lip project outward approximately perpendicularto the surface 58, and are parallel to each other. In a preferredembodiment, the lower lip projects out further from the surface 58farther than the upper lip. This makes it easier to engage the edge of asnowboard with the groove and to rest it on the support surface. Inanother preferred embodiment, the lower lip has a flat edge 53 ratherthan a pointed edge. In a preferred embodiment, the groove is curved,for example, a circular curve or a parabolic curve. As shown in FIGS. 9,10 and 11, in another preferred embodiment, the groove is an acuteangle.

On the back boot interface surface 58 a connecting device 60, which canbe a snap, a hook and loop fastener, a threaded fastener, or any othersuitable fastening device. The connecting device 60 is used to connectthe snowboard support device 50 to the tongue of a snowboarding boot.

The support device 50 can be made of a tough, rigid plastic, rubber,composite or metal material. The material must be weather-proof andtough enough not to be damaged by the metal edge of the snowboard. Thesize of the support device 50 is not critical. It should be large enoughto easily rest the snowboard on it, yet not so large as to be cumbersomeon the dorsal side of the boot. In a preferred embodiment, the supportdevice 50 is approximately rectangular, and from about 1 to 2 incheslong and about 1 to 2 inches wide. The upper lip and the lower lips arefrom about ¼ inch to 1 inch deep, and the groove should be from about 1to 2 inches wide. In a preferred embodiment, the connecting device is 60a portion of a two-part snap device, with the second part of the snapdevice attached to the tongue of the snowboard boot.

With reference to FIGS. 4-6, a second embodiment of the presentinvention, the support device 30 has a front surface 42 and a back bootinterface surface 38. On the front 42 is a groove 32 wherein the groovehas a support surface 33. Above the groove 32 is an upper lip 34 andbelow the groove is a lower lip 36. Around the support device 40 is aflat perimeter 44. On the perimeter 44 are at least two lace conduits40. The support device 30 is attached to a snowboot by threading thelaces of the boot through the conduits 40. In a preferred embodiment,the flat perimeter 44 is from about ½ to 1 inch wide.

As shown in FIG. 7, the second embodiment of the support device 30 isattached to the free boot 17 by threading the laces 46 through the laceconduit 40.

As shown in FIG. 8, the snowboard 13 is supported in the groove 32 ofthe support device 30 mounted on the free boot 17. The boot of thesnowboarder is naturally angled back when the boarder is seated in thechairlift. The support device 30 engages with the board at anessentially horizontal position, which is easy for the boarder tomaintain without stressing the joints or fatiguing the muscles. At thesame time, the snowboard boot and laces are not damaged by the metaledge 27 of the snowboard.

The embodiments were chosen and described to best explain the principlesof the invention and its practical application to persons who areskilled in the art. As various modifications could be made to theexemplary embodiments, as described above with reference to thecorresponding illustrations, without departing from the scope of theinvention, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoingdescription and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpretedas illustrative rather than limiting. Thus, the breadth and scope of thepresent invention should not be limited by any of the above-describedexemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with thefollowing claims appended hereto and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A snowboard support device comprising a frontsurface and a back boot interface surface wherein the front surface hasa groove, wherein the groove has a support surface, wherein above thegroove is an upper lip and wherein below the groove is a lower lip,wherein the back surface has a connecting device suitable to connect thedevice to the tongue of a snowboard boot.
 2. A snowboard support devicecomprising a front surface and a back boot interface surface wherein thefront surface has a groove, wherein the groove has a support surface,wherein above the groove is an upper lip and wherein below the groove isa lower lip, wherein the front surface has a flat perimeter, and whereinin the flat perimeter are at least two lace conduits suitable to connectthe device to the laces of a snowboard boot.